The Indianapolis Colts turned some heads on Monday after acquiring DeForest Buckner from the San Francisco 49ers. While speaking during his conference call, Buckner talked about the “win-now mentality” that is taking place in Indianapolis.
“I mean you can see the team that [general manager] Chris Ballard has put together over the years. It’s a really special team,” Buckner said, via the team’s website. “They have a lot of young talent and a lot of good key guys on all phases of the ball. Being able to be an addition, it’s kind of a win-now mentality, you know what I mean? So I am excited moving forward and just ready to get things rolling.”
In the trade that landed them Buckner, the Colts sent the No. 13 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to the 49ers. At the same time, Indianapolis proceeded to give Buckner a massive extension that is worth $21 million annually.
Over the past few years, GM Chris Ballard has done a remarkable job building a contending roster on both sides of the ball. For the offense, the team chose to add Philip Rivers to improve the play from under center next season.
Now, with Buckner anchoring the interior defensive line, Indianapolis has a formidable trio on defense with Darius Leonard and Malik Hooker. Just this past season, Buckner had an opportunity to play in his first Super Bowl with the 49ers.
Despite falling short of hoisting the Lombardi trophy, Buckner understands what it takes to reach the big game. After being traded to the Colts, Buckner believes his new team has the makings of being a contender in 2020.
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